When Jang Hye-yeong was 13 the strain of caring for her disabled sister tore her family apart.
Her autistic sibling was placed in a care home for almost two decades, while another sister was sent away to a boarding school, and her mother left the family.
The experience turned Jang into a disability campaigner — and singer-songwriter and YouTuber to boot — who was elected to parliament in April as one of South Korea’s youngest MPs, aged just 33. Jang stands out in a legislature where 83 percent of MPs are over 50 and only 19 percent are women — a figure that would place the South at 116th in the latest Inter-Parliamentary Union global ranking.
Photo: AFP
Now she is taking on the country’s deep-seated patriarchy and religious conservatism — including powerful megachurches that condemn homosexuality — by drawing up a new anti-discrimination bill.
It would ban favoritism based on sex, race, age, sexual orientation, disability or religion as well as several more unusual criteria such as criminal history, appearance and academic background.
However, over the past 13 years six attempts to pass broad anti-discrimination laws in South Korea have all failed.
“For a long time, parliament has existed as an institution made up of middle-aged, able-bodied men,” Jang said.
‘VERY NATURAL’
Despite its economic advances, South Korea remains socially conservative and Human Rights Watch says discrimination against women and minorities is widespread.
Jang said her family suffered; as well as autism, her sister has an intellectual disability — conditions some blamed when they were growing up on their mother’s supposed “sins.”
The mother struggled to cope and received limited help from the government or community, and eventually the disabled sister was placed in an institution where Jang alleges residents were mistreated.
Soon afterwards their mother left the family and her father sent Jang to live with her grandparents.
“When I realized my mother had left, I was very sad, but on the other hand, I also thought it was a very understandable decision,” Jang said.
Her mother’s experiences, and those of her sister and herself, made feminist campaigning “very natural” to her, she added.
In 2011 she dropped out of the prestigious Yonsei University — an unconventional decision in a competitive society where college degrees often define lives.
Then, 18 years after the family split up, Jang took her disabled sister out of the care facility to look after her herself.
Jang’s 2018 documentary Grown Up follows their first months living together again, and on YouTube Jang has consistently called for people with disabilities to live in the community.
Last year Jang joined the left-wing Justice Party and in April this year was among six MPs from the group elected to parliament in a vote that President Moon Jae-in’s Democratic Party won by a landslide.
But Jang’s bill will struggle to become law.
‘IT’S A SIN’
Religious beliefs hold much sway in South Korea, where churches remain an important political space and many evangelicals oppose gay rights.
Pastor Kim Kyou-ho, who leads the campaign group Counter Measure Committee for Homosexuality Problems, insists the Bible says homosexuality is a “sin.”
“If anti-gay people’s human rights and freedom of speech are violated in the process of protecting the human rights of sexual minorities, we cannot call this democracy,” Kim said.
About 40 percent of the country’s parliament is Protestant, according to the United Christian Churches of Korea, and few politicians are willing to challenge the religious lobby.
Of 10 MPs who signed Jang’s bill last month, only two are from the left-leaning Democratic Party, whose support is crucial.
Activists say the Democrats have failed women, with three party heavyweights currently accused of sexual misconduct, including Seoul mayor Park Won-soon, who took his own life earlier this month.
Jang was one of two female lawmakers who declared they would not attend Park’s government-run funeral, and instead called on officials to take action against sexism.
Moon, a former human rights lawyer who once pledged to be a feminist leader, supported an anti-discrimination bill during his ill-fated 2012 presidential run.
But during his successful 2017 campaign he said he “opposed” homosexuality and that “social consensus” was needed before legalizing same-sex marriage.
Jang, though, insisted rights issues could not wait.
“The essence of politics lies in making choices, and taking responsibility for your actions and words,” she said.
Jason Han says that the e-arrival card spat between South Korea and Taiwan shows that Seoul is signaling adherence to its “one-China” policy, while Taiwan’s response reflects a reciprocal approach. “Attempts to alter the diplomatic status quo often lead to tit-for-tat responses,” the analyst on international affairs tells the Taipei Times, adding that Taiwan may become more cautious in its dealings with South Korea going forward. Taipei has called on Seoul to correct its electronic entry system, which currently lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan),” warning that reciprocal measures may follow if the wording is not changed before March 31. As of yesterday,
The Portuguese never established a presence on Taiwan, but they must have traded with the indigenous people because later traders reported that the locals referred to parts of deer using Portuguese words. What goods might the Portuguese have offered their indigenous trade partners? Among them must have been slaves, for the Portuguese dealt slaves across Asia. Though we often speak of “Portuguese” ships, imagining them as picturesque vessels manned by pointy-bearded Iberians, in Asia Portuguese shipping between local destinations was crewed by Asian seamen, with a handful of white or Eurasian officers. “Even the great carracks of 1,000-2,000 tons which plied
On Thursday, former Taipei mayor and founder of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was sentenced to 17 years in prison and had his civil rights suspended for six years over corruption, embezzlement and other charges. Seven others related to the case were also handed prison sentences, while two were found not guilty. It has been a bad week for the TPP. On Tuesday, prosecutors charged Chinese immigrant Xu Chunying (徐春鶯) with suspicion of taking part in Beijing-directed election interference. Xu has strong links to the TPP, which once offered her a party list legislator nomination. Tuesday also
Nuclear power is getting a second look in Southeast Asia as countries prepare to meet surging energy demand as they vie for artificial intelligence-focused data centers. Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Even countries without current plans have signaled their interest. Southeast Asia has never produced a single watt of nuclear energy, despite long-held atomic ambitions. But that may soon change as pressure mounts to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, while meeting growing power needs. The
RSS